Imagine, for a second, that you are a stylish, cultured 20-year-old central midfielder looking for a club capable of offering you regular first-team football.
All the while competing for silverware and Champions League recognition.
With all things considered, there could hardly be a more fitting destination than Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic for Paris Saint-Germain’s 20-year-old academy graduate Edouard Michut.
After a promising loan spell at Sunderland, Michut’s Stadium of Light departure was confirmed in midweek. Tony Mowbray’s play-off semi-finalists had a £2 million option-to-buy clause in Michut’s contract, but appear to have turned their attention to Jobe Bellingham – younger brother of Dortmund superstar Jude – instead.
Whether Celtic plan to renew their interest in a player who reportedly registered on Postecoglou’s radar around 12 months ago, per Sky Sports, only time will tell. But presuming that they do, then it’s hard to imagine a move that suits all parties better than this.
Will Celtic make a new move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Edouard Michut?
Michut only needs to look at the success of fellow PSG graduates – Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard – to realise the benefits of enrolling himself in the fabled Parkhead finishing school. Furthermore, with Postecoglou at the helm these days, Celtic also have a coach who’s expert man-management, vast experience and detailed tactical approach lends itself perfectly to developing hungry, budding prospects.
“Edouard is a young footballer who has shown what a talent he is,” Mowbray told the Sunderland website in March. “A young guy thrust into a different country.”
Michut, dubbed the new Marco Verratti by some during his formative years at PSG (Goal), would face serious competition for a place in Postecoglou’s plans; Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata, Matt O’Riley, David Turnbull and Aaron Mooy all challenging for a midfield spot.
‘Where he wants to play’
If there is one area of the squad where Celtic are lacking in high-quality cover, however, it’s arguably in the ‘number six’ role. In the absence of talismanic skipper McGregor, O’Riley lacks sufficient defensive awareness. Mooy, meanwhile, now longer possesses the requisite box-to-box energy at the age of 32.
Michut’s outstanding footwork in tight areas, his press-resistant qualities, his tidy distribution and his fondness for a tackle, meanwhile, makes him arguabl fary better suited than anyone in the current Celtic squad to provide back-up for McGregor.
“I think that (the number six role) is where he wants to play,” Mowbray tells The Chronicle.
According to Fabrizio Romano, PSG would have demanded £4.5 million from Sunderland if the Black Cats had sealed their return to the Premier League. That is around the same fee FC Luzern want for another player with admirers at Parkhead; Swiss international Ardon Jashari.
But do not be surprised if Celtic, having laid the groundwork for Michut’s potential arrival in 2022, opt to pick up before they left off.
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